Chapter 121 : Touch and You Perish

Right after Jin Seong-un left.Left alone in the room, Song Jae-mun sat with his brows furrowed, rhythmically tapping the table with his index finger.

The sound, laced with displeasure, quietly echoed through the room.

“What the hell is that bastard?”

He wasn’t thinking of Jin Seong-un, but rather the one who had attacked him.

It was certainly someone who held a grudge against him. But he couldn’t quite recall the man’s face.

It wasn’t like there were only one or two people he’d made enemies of over the years. If he tried to remember each and every one of them, his head would’ve burst long ago.

After mulling it over for a bit, Song Jae-mun shook his head. There was no need to force the memory.

“Is someone out there?”

One of his subordinates soon entered.

It was the martial artist who had earlier been slapped across the face repeatedly by Song Jae-mun.

“Find that bastard again and kill him. If someone catches wind of it this time as well…”

He trailed off, but the subordinate clearly understood what he meant. This was his last chance. The man he served did not forgive two failures.

“Yes, I’ll take care of it for certain.”

With that, the subordinate quietly exited the room.

Still, Song Jae-mun couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at him.

After burning some Mangwoo Grass for a moment, Song Jae-mun summoned a subordinate to ask,

“Check on Red Cliff Escort Agency’s operation.”

Their original escort mission was to follow the flow of the Yangtze River and arrive here, at the Merchant Festival.

Loaded with fireworks and wine to celebrate the festival’s grand finale.

Of course, the mission was supposed to fail.

They were meant to be ambushed by the Shui Band’s men, wiped out entirely, and all their goods stolen.

This was a gathering of many merchants. When the escort’s failure was revealed here, the rumor would quickly spread nationwide through the mouths of the returning merchants.

Red Cliff Escort Agency would lose its credibility in an instant.

The major trade scheduled next month in the Western Regions would naturally fall to Jo-yang Escort Agency, under Song Jae-mun’s control.

He had already laid out a detailed plan.

There was no way this could go wrong.

And yet…

“What is this damn feeling?”

Song Jae-mun was a man who valued his instincts.

Even if his life’s path had been less than honorable, his business instincts were undeniably real.

He was scheduled to meet with the head escort of Red Cliff Escort Agency in a few days. They had already shared secrets and passed countless amounts of dirty money between them.

Once the escort mission failed and Red Cliff fell into crisis, he and the head escort would put their plan into motion.

It was a method Song Jae-mun frequently used.

To destroy a trading company, one had to greatly damage its credibility while inflicting irreparable loss.

Then, using that as a justification, he’d cut off the head and buy out those under it, swallowing the entire operation in one gulp.

“Ah, was it that bastard?”

Suddenly, Song Jae-mun recalled the face of the man who ambushed him. He vaguely resembled the man who was good with horses.

Of course, he wasn’t sure. He never made a habit of looking back at the paths he trampled.

.

.

.

Trying to clear his head, Song Jae-mun stepped outside for a while. The night breeze made him feel a bit better.

In the distance, he spotted Guest Dragon munching on candied fruit at a street stall. Lately, he’d been finding it oddly unpleasant to see that bastard’s face.

“Ha ha, looks like you’ve got a sweet tooth. One of our regulars at the escort agency is also quite fond of candied fruit. I must introduce you sometime.”

“Is that so.”

Song Jae-mun clicked his tongue inwardly as he approached and struck up a conversation.

No matter what he said, all he got in return was a bland “Is that so,” or “I see.”

If it weren’t for the notorious name of Guest Dragon, he wouldn’t have bothered associating with the guy at all.

Even so, Song Jae-mun smiled and offered his greeting before walking off again.

He had already mingled with everyone worth befriending at the Merchant Festival.

All that remained was to bring down Red Cliff Escort Agency.

Until then, he intended to keep a low profile.

He walked for a while longer.

Then Song Jae-mun couldn’t believe his eyes.

In the distance—there was Guest Dragon again, this time munching on dumplings. He had definitely greeted him from behind earlier.

“……”

What, after eating candied fruit, now he wanted dumplings?

With that thought, Song Jae-mun gave a simple nod and continued his walk.

And that night alone, he ran into Jin Seong-un two more times.

.

.

.

After bumping into Jin Seong-un four times in total, Song Jae-mun returned to his quarters feeling an inexplicable dread and discomfort.

‘What the hell is that bastard up to?’

He didn’t know if it was just his imagination or truly a coincidence.

But for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the man was watching him.

When Song Jae-mun returned, the subordinate he had sent to investigate Red Cliff Escort Agency’s mission rushed to him.

Seeing his subordinate’s expression made Song Jae-mun’s anxiety spike.

“What happened?”

“Well, sir… It seems Red Cliff Escort Agency’s escort arrived safely here in Jingzhou just a short while ago.”

“…What?”

Song Jae-mun’s eyes narrowed.

He had personally handed a large sum of money to the so-called Chief Escort Captain of the Shui Band.

“You useless sons of bitches!!”

How could the so-called masters of the Yangtze fail to handle a single escort mission?

Song Jae-mun trembled with rage, a rare sight from him.

He couldn’t contact the Shui Band directly. He had commissioned the Chief Escort Captain without revealing his identity to keep everything secret.

To verify what went wrong, he’d have to contact that man again—very carefully. So it wasn’t possible right away.

In two days, he was scheduled to meet the head escort of Red Cliff. He would have to confirm it with him.

The only relief was that he had already forged a deep connection with that man. There was no way he would betray him now.

And so, Song Jae-mun went to bed with the foulest mood he’d had since the start of the Merchant Festival.

The next morning.

Song Jae-mun stepped outside, suppressing the fury he’d felt the day before.

At any rate, he planned to eat and then calmly assess the situation.

But in the dining hall—Guest Dragon was there, eating.

Guest Dragon raised his hand toward him and said,

“Would you like to join me?”

Until now, it had always been Song Jae-mun who spotted Jin Seong-un and pretended to be friendly. But since yesterday, it felt like the roles had reversed.

Forcing a smile, Song Jae-mun replied,

“I would love to, but unfortunately, I already have another engagement.”

“Ah, I see.”

The tone—utterly indifferent.

Swearing under his breath, Song Jae-mun left the inn.

.

.

.

By lunchtime, Song Jae-mun visited another inn with a fellow merchant. He intentionally chose one far from where he was staying.

And there was Guest Dragon again.

Eating noodles alone.

After that, it became a cycle.

Whether he went for drinks, meals, or walks—Guest Dragon was always there.

At one point, while he was bathing in the bathhouse attached to the inn, someone poured hot water on his back—and when he turned around, it was Guest Dragon.

By now, Song Jae-mun felt genuinely afraid.

It was like living in a waking nightmare all day long.

Panicking, he rushed out of the bath, hurriedly changed his clothes, and escaped outside.

Then, he started running down the street.

He headed for the rear mountain of Jingzhou—

A place where no one would ever come.

He had climbed the mountain, gasping for breath, for a full two sijin. It felt like the only way to release the frustration weighing on him.

At the end of the climb, he arrived at a cliff that overlooked the nightscape of Jingzhou in one sweeping view.

And then—

“Oh, we meet again. Out for a walk?”

Song Jae-mun finally exploded.

“Y-You! What the hell is the meaning of this!”

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”

“You’ve been following me around like you’re spying on me!”

Jin Seong-un looked at Song Jae-mun with a steady gaze.

“Me?”

“...A-Are you saying this is all just coincidence?”

“Yes.”

“……”

Song Jae-mun clamped his mouth shut and glared.

But Jin Seong-un continued in an even tone, unfazed.

“In this world, all kinds of coincidences can happen. And to be precise, I was already here first, and it was the Escort Master who arrived later—so how could I be the one following?”

“Rrgh...!”

“You said so yourself after the ambush, didn’t you? That it was your heavenly fortune that Guest Dragon happened to be nearby. But now you find it unpleasant to see me?”

“Th-That’s not what I meant!”

Song Jae-mun was overcome by an indescribable frustration.

Because everything the bastard said was right.

Guest Dragon was definitely watching him. And yet, the way he did it was so peculiar—rather than the man following him, it felt more like he kept ending up wherever Guest Dragon already was.

He couldn’t even begin to guess how the bastard was pulling it off.

Naturally so.

Even to other martial artists, Jin Seong-un’s movement arts were absurdly beyond common sense.

For a merchant like Song Jae-mun, such a thing was simply unimaginable.

“Oh, that was a joke.”

“……”

There was no one else in the world who told a joke with such a dry face.

Song Jae-mun let out a sigh and asked,

“Do you perhaps have something to say to me?”

“Yes.”

“...Speak.”

“I hope this Merchant Festival ends quietly. Chairman Oh prepared it with great care, after all.”

“I think so too.”

“Yes, I’m glad we’re in agreement.”

With that, Jin Seong-un casually leapt off the cliff.

Song Jae-mun stared blankly at the now-empty cliffside, utterly dumbfounded.

He cautiously approached the cliff Jin Seong-un had jumped from and peered down.

And instantly, the strength drained from his legs.

“Is… is that guy even human?”

How had he leapt from such a dizzying height? Or had he just seen a ghost?

With thoughts swirling in his head, Song Jae-mun descended the mountain and immediately sought out Oh Jeong-san.

“M-Master Oh! Please let me change my quarters at once!”

“Huh? But all the rooms have already been assigned—it won’t be easy.”

“Hohoho! Come now, you and I aren’t strangers! Please, I beg you! I’ve been having such restless dreams lately I can’t even sleep!”

Oh Jeong-san stared blankly at him and replied in a dry tone.

“Sure, well… I’ll see what I can do.”

Then he returned to his work without another word.

Seeing that, Song Jae-mun’s brow twitched.

‘Yes, something’s going on.’

At last, Song Jae-mun was certain.

Here at the Merchant Festival, some kind of threat was closing in on him.

Thankfully, despite his indifferent demeanor, Oh Jeong-san promptly arranged for new quarters.

Even so, Song Jae-mun ran into Jin Seong-un four more times while moving to the new place.

By now, he was on the verge of tears.

Every time he encountered the man, he changed alleys, turned corners, even made massive detours—but Jin Seong-un was always there.

Honestly, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs or order his subordinates to do something about him.

He was supposed to have a secret meeting with the head escort of Red Cliff Escort Agency soon, and at this rate, even that would be discovered by Guest Dragon.

But there was nothing he could do right now.

The reason was simple.

That man was Guest Dragon.

A member of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

In short, unimaginably powerful.

It drove him mad that such an overwhelmingly strong person was messing with him like this.

Especially that moment when the man leapt off the sheer cliff like it was nothing—he could still picture it vividly.

The man was a monster.

Back in his new quarters, Song Jae-mun gulped down alcohol and sank into deep thought.

‘I must meet with the head escort of Red Cliff Escort Agency.’

It was certainly a dangerous move.

But the Merchant Festival was the best time to shake the foundations of Red Cliff. With so many merchants watching, they could witness the fall themselves.

That’s why—before the festival ended—he had to meet the head escort and find out what had gone wrong.

If there was a problem, he needed to identify it quickly and devise another plan.

‘If the Merchant Festival ends without issue...’

Then next month’s massive escort job in the Western Regions would be entirely monopolized by Red Cliff Escort Agency.

In that case, Red Cliff would soar to heights that Jo-yang Escort Agency could never reach.

‘Guest Dragon. He’s the problem.’

If he could just get rid of the bastard tailing him.

Better yet—kill him.

Of course, he couldn’t do it himself. He had neither the ability nor the reason—and the risk was far too great.

Song Jae-mun was now certain that Guest Dragon suspected him.

This was a serious crisis.

If he ignored it, there would undoubtedly be grave consequences.

Why?

Song Jae-mun looked at the stack of documents on the table. Reports his subordinates had gathered on Guest Dragon.

The man’s track record was insane. Countless people had gone under after getting involved with him.

Quite literally—‘touch and you perish.’

To villains, he was a walking catastrophe.

And now that catastrophe had set its sights on him.

Sweat trickled down Song Jae-mun’s forehead. The pressure weighed heavily on his entire body.

After staring at the papers for a while, his eyes landed on the name of a certain group.

And in that moment—

Song Jae-mun suddenly brightened as though he’d had a revelation.

“It’s been a while since I last met the Southern Black Lotus Lord.”